Memory Card Read Only

[leeds_shrew]

Time to start a new thread on this one - no previous threads here seem to solve my problem.

I bought a new SD card which I intend to put some MP3s on - except that I can't write to it because it tells me the destination is Read Only.

No-probs thinks I: I'll just reformat it.

"Error creating file system: helper exited with exit code 1: cannot open /dev/mmcblk0p1: Read-only file system"

Very useful.

Various chmod commands all result in Read-only file system. I tried umount then mount commands, but it couldn't find it to mount once I'd unmounted it using the same /media/ file path (I assume it's the only one).

Any bright ideas?

Thanks!

[gordintoronto]

Many SD cards have a tiny "write protect" switch. Any chance yours is one of them?

[leeds_shrew]

Yes, but no - it didn't change anything! Thanks for the idea.

[leeds_shrew]

Does it change anything that I've now tried it with another SD card and it too came up as read only. USB sticks, however, are no problem.

It's an inbuilt 5 in 1 card reader on a Dell Inspiron.

[dino99]

have you tried with gparted or partedmagic ?

the problem seem to be a chipset dealing with this reader, dont think about the card itself IMO

what give into console: lshw about that hardware ?

as i understand its not an external reader ?

[efflandt]

Have you tried those SD cards in a USB memory card reader?

Often the built-in slot in a laptop is some other type of block device (instead of sdXY serial drive). Check dmesg after inserting an SD card in that slot. Maybe there is some issue with that device in the /dev directory, either permissions or Linux support for it.

For example USB Startup Disk Creator does not work in the SD slot in my Toshiba laptop, but I can make a bootable USB iso by putting that same SD card in a USB card reader. Even if I do that I cannot boot from the SD if it is in my laptop's own card slot, only if it is in a USB card reader.

On the other hand, the built-in memory card reader in my desktop is internally connected through USB, so I can boot from an SD card in that.

[techunit]

Um I know what the problem is but it very much depends on what your computer is. you need to edit the fstab to fix the issue but I don't remember what it is, but messing with this can cause problems. Are you using a netbook.

[techunit]

I kow that it has something to do with the fstab.. I am sorry but I won't be able to help you further because of the lack of knowledge on the subject. I hope someone will be able to help you with this baed on what I have contributed.

[leeds_shrew]

I'm still pretty new to all this stuff. Could someone give me a step by step to diagnosing the problem using a couple of the suggestions above? I've now tried it with a 3rd SD card, so I'm pretty sure it's an issue with how Ubuntu is treating SD cards inserted into this slot. [Incidentally, I can't seem to get it to recognise XD cards put into the slot at all at the moment - even when restarting with the card in]

Could it be a driver issue? Dell Inspiron 1721 running 64-bit Ubuntu 10.04.

Cheers, G.

[leeds_shrew]

I've sort of ignored this issue for a while, but it's come back to bite me...

Does anyone know anything more about the fstab issue? What might that be? It means frankly nothing to me at the moment!